(This article first appeared in the July 2019 issue of “Dealer E-News.”) Steve Perez knows collector cars. On one side of his shop, he and his partner are housing more than 350 hot rods, collector, vintage and rare automobiles for customers who simply need a place to park their cars.

On the other side of his shop, his company, Invisishield, is installing paint protection film, 3M™ Automotive Window Film, Color Stable Series and other automobile enhancements on vehicles within the Houston area – including collector and vintage cars that are on the road every day.

“There are a lot of people who won’t add paint protection film to collector cars that are in shows or competitions. In fact, when it comes to shows, they deduct points for that,” Steve said. “But those who drive their cars daily swear by paint protection film and window film.”

This coming July 12, 2019, the world will recognize Collector Car Appreciation Day for the 10th consecutive year. The holiday is designated by SEMA Action Network to raise awareness about the vital role car restoration and collection plays in the United States.

While many only get to see collector cars at local car shows or competitions, for Steve, collector cars are seen every day in his shop. Not only does he have vehicles parked in the floors above him for storage, he also has several parked in his storefront.

Steve first started his company, Invisishield, in 2001. At the time, he was providing auto surface repairs for Hertz rental cars. His Hertz contact approached him to see if there was a product that could prevent the scratches that his company was fixing. It was then that Steve discovered paint protection film – a catalyst that built Invisishield into the successful business it is today.

Invisishield currently employs 9 people and incorporates two mobile teams that work with dealerships as well as drive-in customers.

“Most companies would have balked at the idea of looking for a product that would have fixed the issue that they were getting paid to fix,” Steve said. “But I ended up installing paint protection films on 10,000 Hertz cars that first year.”

As a business owner, Steve is methodical and meticulous about the products that he chooses for his company. His interest in the science and technology behind different products led him, in the early 2000s, to first choose 3M™ Paint Protection Film and later (when he decided to add window film to his product line-up), the 3M™ Automotive Window Film, Color Stable Series.

He said that he was impressed with 3M’s initial research and development that they put into their window film products. He knows that the Color Stable Series is reliable and proven.

So, how did Steve get into the business of housing collector cars? In 2002, Steve had a repeat customer, Jeff Moore, who insisted that Steve open a shop where he could park his car collection. Moore said that he didn’t want to risk scratches and accidental damage to his car collection at home. Moore was certain that there were others out there like him – willing to park their automobiles at a credible shop for storage.

Slightly skeptical, Steve took Moore’s idea and ran with it. To his surprise, the business flourished and grew nearly over night. Now, Invisishield works on some of the cars that are parked in Steve’s location, too.

“It worked out,” Steve said. “Very, very quickly, we sold out of all of our storage space.”

View photos of Steve’s collector cars on his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Invisishield. Learn more about his business at www.invisishield.com.